


Five Times Garrett Met Corvo… (And One Time Corvo Came To See Garrett)

by Aubrie1234



Series: Magpie, Raven, Crow, Sparrow, Bluejay (+ Swan & Hawk) [1]
Category: Dishonored (Video Games), Thief (Video Games)
Genre: 5-and-1, Favors Repaid, Outsider wants to ship people, Unknowns to Friends, slight pairing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-07-31 16:17:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20117959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aubrie1234/pseuds/Aubrie1234
Summary: Garrett was a thief. He didn't make friends. He certainly didn't want to make friends with a masked murderer. But then again, don't judge a book by its cover. Especially when you keep meeting him when you really don't want to.





	Five Times Garrett Met Corvo… (And One Time Corvo Came To See Garrett)

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic for Dishonored or Thief, but I love both games so much that I've wanted to do fics for them for a long time and so I decided to try a 5-and-1 to see if I could capture any of it. Also, some of the lore for each game is going to be mixed a little, especially for Thief, as it takes lore from both the original 3 and the reboot. And the Dishonored world is going to be in Low Chaos from both games.

**One**

Garrett pried open the window and glanced around before crawling in. After all the stuff that’s been going on with his life, especially the incident with the Primal Stone and Erin recently, he decided to take it easy for a while and grab some smooth jobs. This was the first job from Basso that broke that trend with just a _ hint _ of danger. Maybe he couldn’t leave the dangerous part behind for long.

Steal an emerald-studded mask from a masquerade shop. Supposed not to have much, if any, security in the way of guards. On his way over, there wasn’t any. Even the Watch didn’t seem to be patrolling tonight. As much as it seemed to be in his fortune, it didn’t sit right with him, so he was anxious as he entered the office of the masquerade shop. It was eerily quiet and Garrett shivered. He felt like someone was watching him, but there was nowhere for anyone to watch from. No rafters, no hiding spots, just an office. And the Glyph burned onto his hand was becoming sore, which was supposed to be impossible now that glyph magic was gone.

_ I should go and do this another night. _ He thought, turning back to the window, then pausing when he heard a sound from below. It wasn’t speaking, certainly, but it was a noise that made him curious, as he was unsure what it sounded like. It had been muffled, so how was he supposed to know what it was? Despite his anxiety, he slowly left the office, grabbing any loot on the way, and found the stairs. He peeked down, between the bars of the handrail, and felt a true sense of fear for one of the few times in his life. Just below was a person standing over the murdered body of the shopowner, unarmed yet giving off a _ very _ dangerous vibe. Suddenly, the being began looking around and Garrett flinched at the sight of the skull-like mask. He knew it couldn’t be real, yet that didn’t make it any less terrifying. It also seemed strangely familiar.

Garrett backed away and tried to head for the window, only to stop when a spike of pain shot through his glyph-branded hand. Because of the suddenness of it, he couldn’t help but give a piss of pain, and knew that the murderer had heard. It was too quiet _ not _ to hear his hiss. In the events that followed, Garrett tried to run, only to be stopped when he was held in a chokehold. He tried to breathe as the trunk-like arm cut off his air, hitting hard with fruitless efforts as he tried to escape.

_ I’m dead. _ He realized, _ Can’t fight this monster. _ With it becoming harder and harder to breathe, his vision fading out and thoughts harder to grasp, he knew he was right. He wanted to go the easy way by going limp and hoped it’d fool his attacker, where he was let go and lowered to the floor. He resisted the urge to gulp in lungfuls of air and stayed silent, eyes closed as he listened to the giant’s breathing. He found it surprisingly hard to do, not just because he almost passed out but because he could barely hear the being’s breathing despite the mask. And it wasn’t moving away from him. What was it waiting for? Or was it not tricked? Garrett wanted to hold his breath but didn’t dare, knowing it’d give him away.

Eventually the being slowly moved away, the footfalls quiet even to Garrett’s keen ears. When he heard the door close, Garret quickly got to his feet and staggered to the window, getting out of the building before he dared to drink in the air he so craved. He ran across the rooftops after he got his air, not stopping until he was sure he was a long ways away from the murderous giant. He panted as he put his hands together, rubbing the thumb of his unmarked hand over the Glyph. It was now not bothering him at all and he was disturbed by how many things had felt or looked familiar in the incident and decided to go back to the Clock Tower, wanting to figure out _ why _ so much was familiar and hoping that the being wasn’t going to come after him once it knew he was awake.

* * *

**Two**

It had been several weeks since the incident with the being and Garrett was still at the Clock Tower. He’d also gained some information about said being. The murderer was a known infamous assassin with supernatural powers that seemed to take out random people but had no name. His other identity was hard to find even with Garrett’s resources and hadn’t been seen outside of Dunwall or Karnaca before. Was he finally expanding to the Eternal City now? That didn’t bode well for Garrett. As he’d told Erin many times, thieves and swords don’t mix.

One of the main reasons why Garrett wasn’t able to find out much more was because the City, much like the rest of Morley, was a non-trading isolationist city-state who liked to annoy the Empress and be a little bastard. People could come in and out, but they rarely took anything with them because of the non-trading rules. If any information got in or out, you were lucky to find someone who knew the info. He barely even knew about the other Isles, their capitals, and the Empress as it was! Which reminded him, the murderer had used a Tyvian chokehold, so maybe he was from Tyvia? Maybe not, though, because he knew several assassins that learned Tyvian chokeholds. It was a pretty easy skill to learn, actually, so it was nothing to base stuff on. But by the Builder, hopefully it wasn’t Corvo.

Corvo. The survivor of the Rat Plague. The hero to the throne. Royal Protector. _ Batshit scary as hell _ . Garrett didn’t know much about how Corvo helped Emily get on the throne the first time but knew he was a taffing _ badass _. Emily herself was no slouch either when Delilah tried to usurp her, but Corvo was the scary one. Hopefully it wasn’t Corvo Garrett had encountered. He’d be in jail faster than you could say ‘bloodfly’ if that was the case. But then, why had Corvo murdered the shopkeeper? Wasn’t he supposed to protect the people of the Isles, especially the Empress? Maybe he shouldn’t be making too many assumptions until he had some more facts. As it was, he now had to scrounge around for some money just to get by. He’d been avoiding going out so he wouldn’t encounter the being again and besides, Basso had been sending him matchboxes again to know how he was doing.

_ Might as well get back in the game. _ Garrett thought, _ The assassin’s probably gone by now. Probably. _ He wasn’t confident about it and just had to be extra careful. He might as well stop back by the masquerade shop and see if he could snatch the mask again. This time when he went, there was nothing disturbing to be seen and so he was able to snatch it. It was a wonder that Basso hadn’t given the job to another thief by now. But now the job was done, maybe he could relax and steal a few more trinkets on the way back to the Crippled Burrick. It was while he was traversing the rooftops that he managed to spot a wanted poster that caught his eye. Double-checking for guards, he dropped down when it was clear, grabbed the poster off the message board, and returned to the rooftop to read it. A chill ran down his spine when he saw the mask on the cover. It was the masked assassin, wanted for a whopping 30,000 coins, and the shopkeeper wasn’t the only one he’d murdered, apparently. There was a small list that made Garrett uncomfortable despite its size, hoping he wasn’t next. Crumpling it into a ball, he threw it into the wet street and watched as it was destroyed and swept away, then left for the pub. Basso wouldn’t like it if he was late, he’d been gone for long enough as it was, but not as long as his year-long absence. That was the good part.

* * *

Another night, another steal. This job was having him rob the safe of a noble for a blueprint. The large guard presence was not doing well for his nerves, however.

_ All this for a blueprint? _ Garrett thought, keeping to the undersides of tables and staying in the shadows. The room with the safe was just up ahead, he didn’t have much longer to go. He checked for guards using his Focus and winced when the Glyph suddenly began to hurt. It was now throbbing and Garrett had to grit his teeth from hissing at the pain. He wasn’t going to let it give him away twice even though there were no guards around. But when he tried the door handle, he paused. It was unlocked, which was unusual, especially since there was a safe in the room, and so he looked through the keyhole. He nearly jumped back when he saw the masked assassin on the other side, standing over the body of a guard. There was no blood but that didn’t mean he hadn’t snapped the woman’s neck or something. Suddenly, the assassin looked to the door and Garrett decided to get out of there, just in case the man could see through the door. It was a good thing he did, as the door suddenly opened and the masked man started chasing him. They were both running, not caring if someone heard them, but it sounded like the man had a quieter run than he did. And then the man suddenly appeared in front of him from nowhere, but the thief was ready for it. He slid between the man’s legs and hopped out the window, running across the rooftops and vowing not to look back. Besides, he’d seen the safe open, the assassin had probably already robbed it. He soon came to a stop and rested against a chimney, trying to catch his breath.

“Hello again.” With the grace of a cat Garrett was on his feet again, blackjack out, the masked man standing right beside the chimney. Garrett hadn’t seen or heard him approach. Just who _ was _ this guy?! The eyes were hidden behind lenses, making it hard to tell what color they were, and between the slits in the skull was a covering of velvet, probably making it hard to breathe but also hard to discover his identity. And the skull-like mask was just imposing now as it was when Garrett had first seen it. They were locked in a stalemate of just staring, the masked man seemingly unarmed and yet Garrett had a sense that the man could kill him in the blink of an eye if he wished. The man then began speaking again.

“I know it was you at the masquerade shop. You saw what I did.” rumbled the man, his voice so familiar, “If you promise not to say a word of what you saw, I’ll let you go.”

“You didn’t before?” Garrett whispered, wary of breaking the tension in the air. The man’s shoulders shook a little as he chuckled.

“Yes, thief. I let you go before but wasn’t sure you wouldn’t say anything. Just know that, if you don’t keep the promise, you’ll see me soon.”

“I don’t doubt it.” Garrett slowly began creeping away, never turning his back to the assassin.

“I’m not usually a killer, thief.” said the man, “I only kill when I have no other choice.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“Believe what you will, it’s the truth.” The masked man turned and disappeared before his eyes. Garrett quickly looked around, making sure he was alone, then stood and put away his blackjack. The Glyph wasn’t hurting anymore. Garrett glanced down at it and wondered if the man’s supernatural abilities were related to Glyph magic. It would explain the burning and throbbing sensations that assaulted it whenever he was near the masked man and Garrett resolved to figure out the connection. It would help him learn how to deal with the assassin better if they met another time. Turning, he left the rooftop and headed back to the Clock Tower. He didn’t like the supernatural, it certainly didn’t like him, and hopefully he wouldn’t have to deal with this anymore.

* * *

**Three:**

Almost a year had passed. Garrett hadn’t said a word and the assassin hadn’t come for him. Life was good. At least, until it was announced that the Royal Protector was coming into town. That meant more guards and Garrett didn’t like that. And yet, he couldn’t resist the temptation of riches that were possible during this time. The nobles would be out, going to parties and trying to impress the hero, and that meant more money to steal. He’d have to chance it. But this mission he was now taking? Had he not been thinking right when he took it? He was going to steal from someone in the same building where the _ Royal Protector _ would be. It was suicidal! So why wasn’t he backing down? Was it the thrill of the challenge that kept him hooked?

After this, he was going to take a long break and hope that he wasn’t actually suicidal.

As it was, he was now staking out the mansion after arriving on the flat roof. He wasn’t used to the flat roof and was nervous as he looked over the edge. Guards everywhere, not to mention the ones potentially inside. And then there was the possibility of encountering the Royal Protector, who like was the ultimate guard. Get caught by him… Garrett didn’t even want to think about it. Once he was sure there were no guards in the top floor using his Focus, Garrett climbed down and went through a window, hiding in a closet just in case. Guards suddenly rounded the corner and he held his breath as they passed, talking to each other jovially. Once they were gone, Garrett left the closet and quickly sprinted down the hall, glad for the carpet. He only stopped when he heard footsteps coming again and so ducked into a room, glad that it was empty. He gazed through the keyhole as more guards came and went before leaving and entering the hall again. He carefully made his way down, still sprinting to avoid more guards, and ducked under a table when more guards came by. He was getting tired of this. Garrett knew where the stairs were from the map he was given but that didn’t mean getting to them would be any easier.

He clenched his hand when the Glyph began burning slightly and knew that the assassin was close. He hadn’t been able to figure out the connection but knew that if his glyph-branded hand began to hurt, the masked man was close. It hurt worse the closer he was to the larger man and he wasn’t looking forward to another encounter. And then came footsteps again and Garrett stayed in place, gritting his teeth as the pain became stronger and stronger the closer the steps came. Instead of it being a pair of guards like the last two times, it was a pair plus a man, bigger than them from what Garrett could see, and his blood ran cold as he realized who it was.

_ Crapcrapcrapcrapcrap-! _ Garrett stayed still as they passed by and began to panic when the larger man paused. His panicking paused when he saw the man’s left hand wrapped with some sort of marking hidden underneath. It was strange, certainly not a Glyph, or at least one he’d never seen. It was strange enough that he was curious to look it up later, if he survived this encounter.

“Something wrong, sir?” asked a guard. There was a pause.

“No.” The man continued walking, “Nothing’s wrong.” And then they were gone. Garrett prevented himself from giving a sigh of relief, afraid that the man would somehow hear it. He was afraid that the man could smell him too, like a wolf. You could never tell with the Royal Protector. He was a creepy, mysterious one. Garrett didn’t leave his hidey-hole until he made sure the Royal Protector was gone with Focus before practically running to the stairs and taking them two at a time. Guards he could handle, but that giant of a man? Garrett would be snapped like a twig. He had to find the jewels he was stealing and get out of there before the Royal Protector knew he was there.

On the floor below was where he’d be searching, unless his info was somehow wrong. He also wasn’t given specifics of if the jewels would be worn or put somewhere. He’d have to look everywhere on the floor, possibly others as well, and he didn’t like it. The longer he stayed here, the bigger possibility of him just being seen, let alone detected. He’d have to act fast. He searched from room to room, eating poppies whenever his Focus got too low and avoiding guards the best he could, but the jewels were nowhere to be found. Eventually he had to head to the ballroom, where the next set of stairs were and where he could be seen the most. It was a well lit area, two stories, and he was standing on the balcony overlooking the festivities. Down below were nobles and guards as music played and- Wait. What the hell was that? Straining a little with his right eye, it zoomed in on the weird robot in the room, bird-like with four blades for arms, and it didn’t make Garrett feel any better. He’d have to avoid it, seeing as he had no idea how it’d be able to detect him, but at least it seemed to be powered down. Maybe it was a gift from the Empress? He’d never seen anything like it before, certainly.

Pulling away from the rail so that he wouldn’t be seen, he crouched and stuck to the darkest areas as much as he could, knowing there wasn’t much darkness to use in the brightly-lit area. He got to the stairs and looked down, looking for shadows to hide in, and frowned when he found none except right behind the pillars holding up the balcony and even then there wasn’t much to hide in. glancing at the guards and nobles, he decided not to chance it. He’d have to wait until the festivities were over before he could even hope to steal the jewels, so maybe he should take this time to see if anyone’s wearing the jewels. It didn’t take long to find them, seeing how they were in a necklace worn by the Lady of the house, Lady Clarissa, so at least they wouldn’t be leaving the mansion. He could just hide and bide his time until she was asleep and then steal the jewels. It was an easy waiting game. He just had to find a good place to hide. Backtracking to the hallway, he fled to an empty room, this one a bedroom, and hid on top of a cabinet. He was in a dark corner, unable to be seen, and smiled as he sat back to wait. His smile dropped when the Royal Protector entered the room alone. Was this his bedroom? If so, Garrett was so taffing screwed. The man didn’t walk far, going to the middle of the room before pausing and glancing around, searching the shadows as if he could spot the thief.

“I haven’t seen someone so skilled with the shadows since the Whalers. You don’t even need to hide from someone’s line of sight to disappear. Either that or the guards here are too stupid to see you.” Corvo smiled, “Mind showing yourself? I won’t hurt you.” Garrett didn’t dare move. Corvo knew he was here. This was so bad. Suddenly, the man lifted his hand, the wrapped one, and the marking on his hand glowed a light blue for a moment. Corvo looked around again and his eyes landed on Garrett and didn’t move away. Somehow, the man could see him, even in the darkness. Corvo raised an eyebrow as if surprised before beginning to approach him. Instantly Garrett had his bow and arrow trained on the Royal Protector, Broadhead Arrow ready and the Glyph throbbing. Corvo stopped.

“As I said, thief, I won’t hurt you.” Garrett didn’t move, didn’t speak. Corvo was a prestigious guard, there was no way he could trust him. The larger man gave a sigh and the marking glowed again. Garrett’s Glyph burned at the same time and Corvo was gone. Before Garrett could turn, he was grabbed and a nauseating sensation overwhelmed him as he suddenly found himself on the carpeted floor, not being flung at all. He scrambled to his feet to fight, his bow and arrow still in hand as Corvo stood over him, looking as calm as ever. Too close for him to use his ranged weapons, Garrett switched to his blackjack and hoped he wasn’t just about to get himself killed when the door opened.

“Royal Protector!” Two guards burst in at the sight of the thief and when Garrett whirled around to face them, he was suddenly put in a chokehold. This was it, this was the end for him. And yet, Corvo wasn’t putting on any pressure.

“Don’t worry.” rumbled the larger man, “He won’t be any trouble.”

“Good, I really don’t want any dead trespassers on my property tonight.” And there was Lady Clarissa among them, or at least that’s who Garrett thought it was. She was pretty calm for something like this.

“Act unconscious.” Corvo whispered to Garrett, and so the smaller man did so. He closed his eyes and went limp and Corvo threw him over his shoulder. Garrett didn’t exactly like this but it wasn’t like he had a choice.

“Oh my!”

“Don’t worry, he’s just out cold.” Corvo assured her, “I’ll lock him in one of the rooms tonight until the party's over and then we’ll take him to prison.”

“I hope so! A thief, in my house!” Her heels clicked as she whirled out of the room.

“Sir, do you need us to keep an eye on him?” asked a guard. Corvo shook his head.

“No. I don’t think he’ll be waking up for a while. Go back to your duties.” Things jingled and clashed as the guards apparently saluted the Royal Protector.

“Yes sir!” The door creaked a little as it closed and then they were alone. Garrett struggled to get out of Corvo’s grip and the bigger man chuckled, setting him down.

“Now now, is that any way to treat your rescuer?”

“You’re not my rescuer.” Garrett murmured, moving away, eyes searching for a window or another way out, quite nervous. Corvo grabbed his arm, quick as lightning, and the thief flinched. To his surprise, Corvo held out a hand and in it was Lady Clarissa’s necklace.

“You’re not the only one who’s done a job or two.” said the man, “Take this and leave. If you get caught, I’m not gonna save your sorry ass again.” Garrett stared at him, astonished. Was there a trick of some sort? Or was the Royal Protector not as sentinel-like as he seemed? Corvo noticed his nervousness and shook his hand, “I promise there’s no trick to this. Just take the necklace and leave.” Garrett was hesitant, then grabbed the necklace and fled through the door. He couldn’t believe his luck or the epiphany he’d had while in the Royal Protector’s presence.

Corvo was the masked assassin he’d encountered. He was not liking this revelation.

* * *

**Four:**

Since that fateful night, Garrett had encountered Corvo several times, whether on jobs or not, Royal Protector or assassin, they somehow still continued to meet. Well, not exactly, as Garrett tried to avoid Corvo like the plague whenever he saw him and Corvo never came after him. Garrett had also tried to figure out the marking on Corvo’s hand and traced it to not being a Glyph but a mark of another god-like being, like the Builder or Trickster: the Outsider. Either he was worshiped by cults who loved him, or he was despised like nothing else. It reminded Garrett a lot of the Hammerites and Pagans, but different. And apparently, runes and charms made from whalebone and inscribed by the runes of the Outsider were supposed to give you great fortunes. Garrett also avoided those things very much, but it wasn’t hard because he’d rarely seen any whalebone in the City. He didn’t even go near the Docks, so there wasn’t much of a chance of him encountering the cursed things. He didn’t want to deal with another supernatural being, not after how much it had cost him the last three times.

Shaking off his thoughts, Garrett crawled through the window to the Crippled Burrick’s basement to sneak up on Basso. This was one of his favorite things to do besides stealing, of course. As he crept up to Basso, he could hear the fence muttering to himself and eavesdropped as he approached.

“Can’t believe this… How in taffing hell did he get himself caught? If they take off his mask, he’s done for…” Garrett froze.

“Corvo’s in danger?”

“GAH!” Basso whirled around as he grabbed for something to hit Garrett with, but once he realized who it was, all he could do was glare, “Damnit, Garrett!”

“Who were you talking about? Was it Corvo?” Why did he care so much about the Royal Protector? Shouldn’t he be glad that Corvo wasn’t a threat to him anymore?

“Who?”

“Don’t lie to me. I know who he is and that he’s been coming to you for jobs.” Basso sighed and rubbed his face tiredly.

“Yeah yeah, it was him.” Basso gestured for Garrett to join him and pointed to a map, “He was on a job to kidnap someone, which I was planning on throwing out until he insisted to take it.”

“Who was he supposed to kidnap?”

“This guy.” The fence handed him a newspaper, “Someone named Cassius Brisby? Supposed to be the son of two extremely wealthy nobles. Corvo insisted taking on the job when he heard about the kid.”

“Then what happened?” Garrett looked at the map again.

“The kid’s paranoid. Corvo wasn’t able to get to him before he was discovered and caught. If they figure out his identity and spread it, then that’s as much slander as when he was thought to have killed the Empress.”

“Why do you care about his reputation?”

“One, he’s one of my best thieves. Two, if he’s forced to resign, then who knows what the next Royal Protector’ll be like. Think about it. He hasn’t touched us, he’s left us thieves alone, but the next guy might not be so nice.”

“Good point. Where is he now?” Basso gave him an astonished look.

“You’re not serious?! You’re a thief, not a rescuer!”

“I know that.” Garrett said, “But I owe him. He dies, I’ll never repay that.”

“You’re not an honorable guy.”

“No, I’m not. But if he lives and tries to use the favor against me, I’ll never live it down.” Basso rolled his eyes, not believing it a bit.

“He was taken here, to the basement of this old apartment building.” Basso pointed to it, “There’ll be guards and all sorts of things crawling around. Corvo’s not an easy man to catch.”

“I know.” Garrett mentally marked the location before moving to the window.

“And Garrett?”

“Yeah?”

“Be careful. Don’t lose your life for him if you don’t have to, or worse.”

“Don’t worry, Basso.” Garrett climbed outside, “It’s the furthest thing from my mind.”

* * *

He’d gotten inside without a problem. First he’d save Corvo, then he’d take out Brisby. He didn’t really care for stealing money right now, he just wanted to find Corvo and get revenge on the little bastard. He didn’t really know why this sense of revenge had enveloped him, but he didn’t want to think of anything else now.

Making his way down the stairs, Garrett found himself in a small hallway. He used Focus to look through the walls and found Corvo, but he was being guarded by two women. He got close to the door and listened in as he looked through the keyhole, trying to figure out how he could get in without alerting them. Corvo was chained to a chair, head down as the guards stood over him, his weapons and mask nowhere to be seen. It seemed they weren’t taking any chances, even if a few things were rumors.

“I can’t believe it.” said one of them, a blonde, “The Royal Protector himself, the Masked Felon!”

“If Brisby gets his way, he won’t be ‘Royal Protector’ much longer. Might not even stay alive.” spoke the other, a redhead.

“What’s he planning to do?”

“Not sure, but he said he wants revenge for what the guy did to his mother.” The women started walking to the door. Garrett jumped onto a beam just above the doorway and waited as the women left the room and went up the stairs. After a moment of making sure no one else came back down, Garrett slipped into the room and approached Corvo, glancing around for the key to the chains. He also gazed at the man’s face and winced.

“What did they do to you?” Garret touched one of the bruises on the larger man’s face and frowned when he felt the dry caking of blood around the eye. It made him angrier at Brisby for a reason he didn’t quite understand. He jumped back when Corvo began to stir, then relaxed. The man tried to open his eyes and only managed his right, the other too swollen to attempt as he groaned. He didn’t say anything as he glanced around, trying to get his surroundings, and so Garrett stepped into his view.

“It’s you.” he said, relaxing a little, “How-?”

“Don’t ask.” Garrett examined the lock and determined he could pick it, unable to find the key, “I’m gonna get you out and then deal with Brisby.”

“Don’t hurt him, thief.” Corvo murmured, “I have a much better fate in mind.”

“Really now.” Garrett began to pick the lock and listened as the bigger man described what he’d planned to do. When he finished, Garrett asked, “And why don’t you want me to kill him?”

“I don’t kill unless I have to. From what I’ve heard, you’re the same way. It’d be against your nature and besides, Brisby is the son of someone I’ve dealt with before. If he dies, I think she’ll want to come after me and I’m not in the best of shape.”

“I guess.” Garrett thought the second reason was flimsy but decided to let it go. Corvo also had a point about his moral code, even if he didn’t believe that the Royal Protector was the same way. As soon as he picked the lock it popped open, allowing him to unravel the chains with some difficulty. Corvo was weak from whatever had happened to him, so Garrett had to help him stand and then walk. Because the place was still crawling with guards, they’d need to maneuver as best they could to get the larger man out.

“Use your teleport thing to the chandelier.” Corvo glanced up and then did so, moving them there with ease, even though the thing swayed from the two of them. Garrett was guiding Corvo what to do to get them out of there and so had to act as their eyes and ears, as if he didn’t do it for himself already. He watched as groups of guards passed beneath him before glancing to Corvo. The larger man was panting from the exertion of his powers and it seemed they wouldn’t be able to rely on them much.

“Thief?”

“Yeah?”

“On your way back to give Brisby what he deserves, do you mind grabbing my things?”

“Where are they?” Garrett told him to teleport them back to the ground, where they kept moving.

“There’s an office they converted to a storage room. It was put in there, I think.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll get your stuff back.” Garrett stopped them for a moment to listen and then guards came around the end of the hall.

“Hey!” They drew swords and Garrett winced. This wasn’t going to end well.

“Teleport us!” he hissed.

“I’ve got a better idea.” Corvo’s mark was glowing as he clenched his fist, “You might wanna hang on.” Garrett watched with surprise as Corvo waved his hand at the running guards and a huge gust of wind appeared out of nowhere, throwing them back against the walls. They were both out cold and Garrett glanced to Corvo.

“That was good.” Corvo smiled.

“I don’t just teleport, thief.” They continued moving until they were outside, where Garrett left Corvo on a rooftop.

“You sure you’ll be okay out here?”

“Yeah.” Corvo coughed a little as he sat against a short stone wall near the edge of the roof, “I’ve been through worse.”

“Stay out of trouble, then.” Garrett turned and used a rope arrow to enter the building again. He didn’t know why he’d just helped Corvo but knew he’d do it again. Maybe they were becoming friends? He didn’t know, but at least he’d paid back the favor.

* * *

**Five:**

After what happened with Brisby, Garrett hadn’t seen Corvo in a while. He was out of commission for the moment, certainly, but Garrett was kinda worried for the Royal Protector. He was friends with Basso, but that was because of years of working together. He’d only met Corvo what, four times? They barely knew each other. Why did he care so much? Shaking off the thoughts, he continued on his way to grab another job from Basso. When he arrived, however, he found someone else there. It was a woman dressed in dark clothes, similar to himself, with a bandana covering the lower half of her face. She looked familiar, however. Her dark hair and eyes a contrast with her lighter skin. She’d been speaking with the fence before Garrett had arrived and turned to him when he entered through the window.

“You’re new.” muttered the thief, not unpleasantly.

“You must be the infamous Master Thief I’ve heard so much about.” The woman leaned back against a table and crossed her arms. On her left hand, like Corvo’s was the Outsider’s mark Basso glanced between them, anxious.

“Mind not starting a fight or anything in here, please?” he asked, then turned to Garrett, “This is Emily, a new thief in town.”

“How long have you been here?” Garrett asked.

“A few weeks.”

_ As long as Corvo’s been away. _ He filed the info back in his mind for later. Emily tilted her head.

“I don’t usually interact with other thieves.” Garrett mused, “Just don’t get in my way.”

“Maybe, maybe not.” She walked towards him and past him to the window, but not before adding in a whisper, “I know that you saved Corvo.” She was gone before he could try to interrogate her. He contemplated going after her, then decided against it. If she knew who he was, then she probably knew how to find him. He went ahead and took the job from Basso, knowing he’d meet Emily again. And as he suspected, once the night was over, he met her again. And he didn’t realize she was there until she made her presence known.

He’d come in to the Clock Tower after the job, the sun just breaking the horizon, and began taking off his bow, arrows, and harness. This was his safe place, he didn’t have to fear anyone coming in, he could be himself and alone. Once he was out of the harness, he felt better and could relax. But as he took a seat in a chair, he heard something and used his Focus to see if there was an intruder.

“Interesting.” Just above him, in some rafters, was Emily, “You’re using something like Dark Vision, but you’re not marked.”

“What do you want?” Garrett watched with Focus and listened as she landed before him and stood. Under her coat were dozens of crossbow bolts and darts, mines, and other weapons. If she wanted to, she could kill him in the blink of an eye.

“I wanted to thank you.” The woman moved her bandana to show her face and Garrett opened his eyes to look at her. His eyes widened and he sat up as he recognized her.

“Empress!” He didn’t make to stand even though she probably deserved it and Emily smiled.

“Glad to see that you recognize me.” She dragged over a stool to sit on, “Like I said, I came to say thank you for saving Corvo.”

“And why is that?” Garrett’s hand inched toward his blackjack and wrapped around it, feeling safer once it was in his hand. He never went anywhere without it, not even when he got out of bed.

“You may have heard the rumors, but I trust you enough to hear this and not say a word.” She leaned on her knees, “Corvo is my father.” Garrett studied her face for a moment, not showing any expression.

“...I can see it.” he said at last, “You look so much like him.”

“Thank you.” Emily looked down and played with her hands, “I can’t thank you enough for what you did. After I lost my mother, he was all I had left. It was especially bad when I thought I lost him in the coup Delilah made. If he’d had to resign, I don’t think he’d have been able to stay in the palace and I don’t wanna stay away from him too long again.”

“How is he, by the way?”

“Better. He’s being looked after well.” She looked to him, “Do you wanna come see him?”

“Maybe tomorrow.” Garrett said, “I’m heading for bed.”

“First thing tomorrow night, I’ll stop by.” Emily stood and bowed, “Thank you for listening to me. Corvo’s really wanted to see you and thank you in person.” She smiled as she put her bandana up, “Just know that you’ll have to keep up.” With a light purple-blue glow from her mark, Emily was gone. Garrett stared at the space where she’d been moments before, then closed his eyes and sighed as he rubbed his forehead. Just what had he gotten himself into?

* * *

“We’re here.” Emily crouched with Garrett on the roof of a building overlooking the very mansion where Garrett had tried to steal Lady Clarissa’s jewels. The thief was panting, glaring at Emily for giving him the literal runaround, but she ignored it. She continued to stare down at the open window, contemplating something, then turned to him. Her eyes were sad, the first time he hadn’t seen confidence in them, “I hope he’ll get better. Like I said-”

“He’s all you have left. I know.” Garrett was not usually a touching person but believed Emily needed it and so took one of her hands gently and cautiously, “He’ll be fine. He said he’s been through worse and I trust that statement. Besides, I didn’t repay my dept just for him to die.” He let go and then jumped to the window. He crawled in, followed by Emily, and they found themselves in the bedroom given to Corvo for sleeping and now his recovery. The entire left side of the man’s face was bandaged with a small chunk of ice wrapped in cloth resting on it, being held up by one of Corvo’s hands. The other was held in a splint, as if broken, and Garrett winced. It was Corvo’s marked hand and now he felt bad for having the other man use it so much in their escape. Garrett continued to stand in silence as Emily walked over to her father.

“Father?” she asked, hesitant. The thief was a little surprised by this, wondering why she’d be hesitant to talk to her own father if she was the Empress, then decided that family bonds were stronger than titles. He knew that himself, after all. It caused his eye socket to ache a little as he remembered and he laid a hand on the side of his socket, trying to block out the memory.

“Emily?” Corvo groaned, opening an eye. He quickly took stock of the rest of his surroundings and his eye rested on Garrett. He tried to sit up but winced and had to lay back down from the pain in his arm. Emily also fretted over him briefly before regaining her composure.

“He knows who we are. After what he did, I think we can trust him.” she said. Corvo didn’t look completely convinced but didn’t try to get up again. She’d said he wanted to thank Garrett, but he didn’t seem very thankful. Emily then strode to the door, saying, “I’ll leave you two alone to talk.” She slipped out before Garrett or Corvo could say a word. When she was gone, they stared at each other a moment, then the thief slowly drew closer.

“How are you?”

“Better.” grunted the Royal Protector. He was more standoffish than Garrett had ever seen him. The smaller man crossed his arms.

“What’s got your knickers in a twist?” he mused, pacing at little beside the bed. Corvo never took his eye off Garrett.

“I don’t like the idea that Emily came and got you.”

“Then you’ll dislike it even less that she told me the connection you two have.” Corvo’s marked hand clenched.

“You’re not wrong.” Garrett snorted.

“Look, I wouldn’t hurt her. I’m not interested and besides, she can handle herself. She did say she could while Delilah’s coup was going on.” Corvo stared at him, then sighed and relaxed, if only slightly.

“Yeah, but I’m her father. It’s my job to worry.” Corvo glanced away from Garrett as if thinking back, “I’ve been worried since she was born.”

“Don’t be.” Garrett shook his head, “I’ve got the feeling she’s just as good as you are.”

“Maybe so, but I wish she wasn’t.” All was silent for a moment.

“...She said you wanted to thank me in person?” Garrett asked. This got Corvo’s attention.

“Oh, right. Yes, thank you for saving my life. I’d hate it if I left Emily alone.”

“She feels the same about if she lost you.” Garrett looked down, “Wish I had someone to care about like that again.”

“Did you use to?” Garrett wanted to talk about it but kept his mouth shut. After a while of no answer, Corvo let it go, “Any other reason you came by here? More stealing, perhaps?”

“No, not tonight.” The thief glanced at the Royal Protector’s arm, “I’m sorry for making you use that.”

“It’s not your fault. Neither of us knew.” Corvo looked away again and went quiet. Garrett raised an eyebrow.

“Hello?” He snapped his fingers. Corvo blinked and focused on him.

“Sorry.” He gave a sheepish smile, “The doctor says I gained something called a concussion while I was beaten. They’re keeping a tight eye on me, so you might wanna leave soon.”

“Explains some of the spacing out.” Garrett turned to leave.

“Thief?”

“Yeah?”

“If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask Emily or I. Both of us have had our experiences on the wrong side of the law before. We know how tough it is. Just ask.” Garrett paused at the window, one foot on the seal, then turned back.

“And Corvo?”

“Yeah?”

“My name’s Garrett, not ‘thief.’” And then he was gone. Corvo smiled again before drifting off to sleep, glad to finally learn the man’s name.

* * *

**And One:**

Garrett had never seen this place before. He knew he was dreaming, and yet he knew he wouldn’t be able to wake up unless someone else woke him. It was a craggy place, full of floating gray rocky platforms and black crystals, an eerie twilight always present. As it was, he was traversing the strange dreamland to find a way to escape or to find the being who trapped him here, because if there was one thing he knew from his experiences with the supernatural, it was that they didn’t let you leave without a price.

“Hello?” he called, his voice echoing and not all at once. He usually didn’t like to make any sounds, but this time was an exception. He had to find a way out and if he had to encounter the being that lived here, then so be it. There was no response, and so he continued through the dreamscape. He paused when he reached the edge of a high platform, looking down into an area of scattered ones, and watched in horrific fascination as a whale swam through the area, singing its haunting song. Garrett watched it leave, then decided to redouble his efforts to leave the area. But when he turned around, he found himself face-to-face with a black-eyed boy that made him jump so much that he almost stumbled over the edge. He would have if the boy hadn’t caught his arm and tugged him away from the edge. The boy was smiling, even as Garrett tried to keep his distance.

**“The infamous Garrett. It’s nice to finally meet you.”** The boy spoke in that same strange voice that echoed and didn’t, almost ethereal with his surroundings. He disappeared in a cloud of black dust and floating crystals, only to appear to Garrett’s right, sitting on a ledge, **“You know me as the Outsider, but I have many different names. Any you would like to use is fine.”**

“Why am I here?” Knowing there was no way to escape without talking to the being, Garrett sat down in preparation for a long talk.

**“Because you’re interesting.”** said the Outsider, **“Not as interesting as Corvo or Emily, but interesting in your own way.”**

“I’d ask how you know them, but I think I already know. You gave them the mark on their hands.”

**“That’s right.”** The Outsider nodded, **“Anyone who interests me gains my mark and some supernatural abilities.”** The Outsider disappeared again only to be seen to Garrett’s side, now standing, **“If you don’t mind, I’d like to show you something.” ** Seeing as he had no choice, the thief got to his feet and followed. They walked together in the dreamscape, the Outsider forming their path as they walked to wherever he wished for them to go as he spoke, **“I know the Eternal City, like the rest of Morley, knows little about some of the other things in the world. You didn’t even know about me until you met Corvo, you only knew the Builder and the Trickster, not the Abbey or the Oracular Order or anything like that. You’ve been so busy trying to survive and deal with world-ending threats that you had no time or will for looking outside your home, and I understand that. But now, times have changed.”** The Outsider looked at Garrett with his black eyes, **“I’m not saying something else is going to happen that will threaten everything once again. However, your friendship with Corvo will be certainly something very interesting.”** The Outsider smiled.

“I wouldn’t call it a friendship.”

**“Maybe not, but do you know what he’s done?”** The Outsider didn’t wait for an answer and waved a hand, summoning an arch, where a scene began to play, **“This is from over fifteen years ago, which Jessamine Kaldwin was murdered. I watched it happen as Daud, another of my Marked, killed her and Corvo was framed. I watched as Emily was kidnapped and Corvo imprisoned. When he got out to find her and get his revenge, I gave him my mark because I realized how interesting and special he was. He changed the world, Garrett, and without him you’d probably be experiencing the Rat Plague.”**

“The Gloom was pretty bad itself...” murmured the thief, unable to take his eyes away. But suddenly the scene changed to something much different.

**“This is from only a few years ago. Fifteen years after Jessamine’s death, her half-sister Delilah took the throne away from Emily and made her an outcast. I sensed the same potential for change in her that I did Corvo, and so I gave her my mark.”**

“Wait.” Garrett took a step closer, squinting and using his eye to zoom in, “Didn’t Corvo lose your mark in this fight?”

**“That he did. However, I think he was better off with it, so I gave it back to him once he was free.”** The scene changed once again and Garrett gained a sense of dread as he realized what he was seeing.

“This is what happened with me. Why are you showing me this?”

**“Because you have that same interesting potential, even if it isn’t as strong. I’m not offering you my mark, but I want to let you know that I’ll be keeping an eye on you from now on.”** The Outsider grinned, showing his teeth, **“And if there’s anything else you want to know about Corvo and Emily, just ask. It’s not often I get to gossip.”** He dropped the grin, **“I was serious about the friendship, though. Both of you are masters of stealth. Together, you’d be nigh unstoppable. If I were you, I’d handle your friendship with Corvo carefully.”** The Outsider grinned again, **“It might even become something else.”** Garrett blushed.

“And what do you mean by that?”

**“Oh, nothing.”** The Outsider tapped his foot and the platform under Garrett disappeared. He fell for a few moments before he found himself shooting up in his bed, panting. He glanced around, double-checking he was in the Real World, and stopped when he heard a noise. Grabbing his blackjack, he crept to the second floor to see what was going on and found Corvo sitting there, making peace with some of the ravens that came by sometimes. In fact, he was holding Jenivere, Basso’s pet crow, and petting her gently. She trilled at the touch and rubbed against him, as if asking for more, too which Corvo chuckled.

“You certainly look better.” Garrett commented. Corvo looked up.

“Feel like it too.” He raised his hand and let Jenivere sit on his shoulder, “She yours?”

“Basso’s.” Garrett glanced out the window and found it to be sunset, “Why are you here?”

“I can’t come out to visit my favorite thief every now and then?”

“Cut the crap and just tell me.”

“Fine.” Corvo rolled his eyes and pulled out a stone from his pocket. He held it out to Garrett, “Thought you might like this.” Garrett took it and examined it. It was slightly clear, foggy yet crystalline, capturing any light that filled it with an unearthly glow.

“Thanks.” The thief moved over to his collection and placed the stone among everything, “Is that all?” Corvo shrugged.

“I guess. It was more of a gift, actually.”

“A gift for what?”

“It’s been a few years since we first met and months since you saved me. It’s a gift of friendship.”

_ Friendship. _ The Outsider had said that their friendship would make them unstoppable. And Corvo was a pretty good guy. Maybe he’d take that to heart and really try to be a friend for once.

“If we’re gonna be friends,” Garrett began, “then why don’t we start telling stories about ourselves?” He may have not liked to share things about himself, but if Emily and Corvo trusted him to keep their secret, then he could trust them to keep his.

Maybe meeting Corvo was the best thing that happened to him. Maybe.

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. Lady Clarissa is a OC just for the story, as are the shopkeeper and Cassius Brisby.
> 
> 2\. Brisby is the last name of one of the characters from the first Dishonored, the guy you can give Lady Boyle to in the nonlethal option, and so I've decided my OC is their son in some way and that's why Corvo wanted to go after him, just in case the guy had a revenge plan against him for his mother (which he did).
> 
> 3\. So, in this fic, Morley is where the Eternal City is located, where Garrett lives, and the events of most of the Thief games happened before the first Dishonored. Dishonored 2 and the Thief reboot happened at the same time, and because Morley is so rebellious, that's why Garrett can't get much info on Corvo and why they know little of each other's world-saving antics.
> 
> If there's anything I didn't explain that you'd like to know, just let me know and I can add it into the notes down here.


End file.
